NRA Victorious as Congress Reverses Obama’s Social Security Gun Grab

Fairfax, Va. – The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) today scored a significant victory when Congress agreed to review a final rule by the Obama administration that would wrongly strip law-abiding Americans of their Second Amendment rights.

“Congress’s decision to review the Obama administration’s back-door gun grab is a significant step forward in restoring the fundamental constitutional rights of many law-abiding gun owners,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director, NRA-ILA. “The NRA has been fighting this unconstitutional government overreach since it was first discussed and we look forward to swift congressional action to overturn it.”

Last year, the Social Security Administration finalized a proposed rule to ban certain recipients who use a representative payee from owning firearms. This ill-conceived action stripped the right to keep and bear arms without due process from some of the most vulnerable Americans.

The NRA immediately opposed the Obama administration’s efforts when the proposal was first announced in summer of 2015. The NRA has fought every step of the way to ensure that social security recipients are not stripped of their rights without due process of law.

Congress is now going to review the Obama administration’s unconstitutional ban under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). CRA allows Congress to dispose of any actions an outgoing administration initiates in its last six months. This final rule falls under that time frame, and the review process is expected to move forward in the House and receive a vote as early as next week.

“We are pleased that Congress is moving swiftly to ensure that law-abiding Americans’ constitutional rights are respected,” concluded Cox. “We would like to thank Reps. Sam Johnson (R-TX) and Ralph Abraham (R-LA) for leading this effort in the House, as well as with Speaker Paul Ryan for his leadership on this issue.”